No. 11 Penn State Men's Lacrosse journeys to Annapolis to battle Navy

After upsetting No. 3 Princeton 13-7 last weekend on the road, the No. 11 Nittany Lions are headed to Annapolis to take on a pesky Navy Midshipmen team in one of the nation's top lacrosse venues at Navy Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. 

“I have said this outside of Panzer [Stadium], obviously, I think it’s one of the nicest lacrosse playing facilities in the country. And I think part of that is it’s in the heart of where the hotbed of lacrosse and the history surrounding the stadium,” head coach Jeff Tambroni said. “I think it’s one of the neatest lacrosse facilities that college has to offer.”

This meeting will be the 41st all-time matchup between the two programs, with Navy leading 36-4, including a 30-1 record at home. Despite the negative margin, the Nittany Lions have won the last three games between the two programs. 

Penn State’s keys for success: Faceoffs, goaltending & balanced offense

Commanding the faceoff stripe (62.2% team win rate) has led to early success for the Nittany Lions. However, this week against Navy, Penn State’s one-two punch of Colby Baldwin (58.7%) and Reid Gills (65.9%) will face their biggest test against Navy’s Zach Hayashi (68.4%) and Colin Shadowens (58.3%). 

Last season, Baldwin won the faceoff battle for Penn State after Hayashi went down with a lower-body injury midway through the contest at Panzer Stadium. Hayashi was 57% before the injury and was pivotal in keeping the game tight in the first half. Baldwin won seven of the eight draws in the second half with Hayashi out of the game. 

The other specialist position will also play a large role in this contest.

True freshman netminder Preston Hawkins showcased why he earned the starting job at the beginning of the season after his 11-save performance against Princeton. Hawkins started the season slowly during his two starts inside Holuba Hall, but his turnaround against the Tigers’ potent offense was a great sign for the future. 

“Where I have been the most impressed is after being taken out of the first game and playing the first few games inside, he just continues to stay the course and remains confident,” Tambroni said about his netminder. “He was undera lot of duress against Princeton and managed it really well mentally, which then allowed him to physically just relax and do the stuff that he is capable of.”

As Hawkins has continued to grow, so has a young Penn State offense. 

Penn State, led by sophomore attackman Hunter Aquino’s 13 points (10G, 3A) in three games, is looking to continue to build momentum in its tough non-conference stretch. To continue gaining momentum, the offense will need to rely on its strength in numbers, led by its star sophomore. 

“Hunter in particular gets guys really excited and motivated to play for each other and for him because he’s just so excitable and humble in his approach,” Tambroni said. “I think we’re built, as Hunter noted in his postgame quote, with a number of different guys that complement one another. We know if we’re going to win at the next level, everyone’s going to have to contribute in some way, shape, or form, not just in the offense, but certainly to the score sheet.”

Aquino will draw the top defender Navy has to offer, so the balance and depth that coach Tambroni touched on will be important against the Midshipmen. Expect to see veteran attackman Kyle Lehman and true freshman attackman Jack Iannantuono grow into larger roles as the season eases along. The depth of the midfield room will also be paramount in the team’s success.  

Scouting Navy

AJ Marsh is an exceptional player for the Midshipmen and is a rarity among lacrosse players because of his talents. The close defender will likely draw the Aquino matchup and will have his hands full on the defensive end. But that’s not the only third of the field Penn State has to be cognizant of No. 11 in a Navy sweater. 

“Most guys are impactful in a third of the field…he [Marsh] impacts every part of the field,” Tambroni said. “He affects the entire field, and I think that’s just really rare in any day and age.”

Marsh is the headliner on this Navy team that is returning many key pieces from last season, including its other two starting close defenders, who have combined for 102 games played in their careers. That experience will be important against a young Penn State team. 

The defense isn’t the only experienced room for Navy, it has returners at every position incuding a magnificent starting attack line. 

Mac Haley, Alec Gregorek and William Goers have had a strong start to the 2026 season at attack, and Aydan DiRocco, the younger brother of the Nittany Lions Ryan DiRocco, has been a great fourth option in the attack room for Navy head coach Joe Amplo. 

Notes from last year’s contest

Navy’s lack of discipline, headlined by its eight penalties, led to its demise against Penn State. The Nittany Lions had five extra-man opportunity (EMO) goals in the 13-7 victory at Panzer Stadium. The combination of lack of discipline and Hayashi’s injury really drained the life from Navy’s comeback efforts in the game. 

Penn State’s defense also held Navy to one second-half goal, which was scored with six seconds remaining in the third quarter. The defense held Navy to 26 total shots in the contest; the Nittany Lions' offense fired off 54 shots in the game. 

Expect this season’s game to be much tighter across the statsheet and on the playing field.